Results 36,381-36,400 of 46,197 for speaker:Simon Harris

Other Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I do not believe that we should invest in the private health service instead of the public health service. However, the man who is waiting for a hip operation does not care how we get his operation done. He just wants to know what I am doing to do to ensure he does not have to wait longer. While we build up capacity in the public health service we will use the NTPF as a vehicle. That is...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Location (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Lawless for his question on this very important project and I accept the legitimate and strong feelings a number of people, including parents, have expressed about it. The project to develop the new children’s hospital is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance paediatric services for children. The granting of planning permission in April 2016 for the hospital,...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Location (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I note the Deputy's reference to a letter from his party leader. I understand the Fianna Fáil Party is supportive of the location selected and, like me and many others, wants us to get on with building it. I will try to answer the questions the Deputy raised. On the issue of parking, the design of the hospital has recognised the need of most parents to access the hospital by car. For...

Other Questions: General Medical Services Scheme (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Louise O'Reilly and Denise Mitchell for asking this question. There is no provision under the general practice general medical services contract for persons who hold a medical card or general practitioner visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP or a practice nurse on behalf of a GP, which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of...

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Does Deputy O'Reilly have permission to take Deputy Louise Mitchell's question?

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: What is the question on?

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Yes, I have the reply to that question.

Other Questions: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for giving me a chance to find the question and I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for making sure we are all awake. I thank Deputy O'Reilly for her question and fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled. Cancellation of elective procedures can occur for a variety of exceptional reasons,...

Other Questions: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: There is a plan to reduce the waiting lists. I have outlined that plan and have also outlined the very specific target of getting the waiting times back to no longer than 15 months for outpatient, inpatient or day case appointments by the end of October. That is about as specific as I can be. The aim then is to enhance the target times further into 2018, recognising that we have €50...

Other Questions: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: It is not done yet.

Other Questions: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: There are far too many people waiting far too long for a procedure in Ireland. We all agree on that but what are we going to do about it? Just because Deputy O'Reilly keeps saying that I do not have a plan does not actually make it true. I have a plan. I have outlined that plan. It is funded to the tune of €20 million in 2017, with a further €50 million of funding for 2018....

Other Questions: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I intend to brief members of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, including Deputy O'Reilly, on the review in the coming weeks and I would welcome her input.

Other Questions: HSE Expenditure (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: As I stated, I will reflect on the Deputy's comments and the views of the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Health Care because getting this right is very important in terms of the development of primary care. I had the opportunity to address the annual conference of practice nurses recently and I heard from them some concerns about anomalies. They felt colleagues in most other settings...

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Loughlin for raising this important matter. The long-term illness or LTI scheme was established under section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 and regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI scheme. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered under the scheme. For people who are not eligible to join the LTI scheme,...

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I am very much aware of the plight of people with Crohn's disease in Ireland as I suffer from the illness. I can understand how debilitating it can be to so many people in this country. I understand the financial pressures for families on low and middle incomes in meeting costs of medication. I make the point to the Deputy that in considering how we can better support people with Crohn's...

Other Questions: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I wish a happy St. Brigid's Day to the Deputy as well. The Deputy makes a number of very important points. This condition seems to be rising in prevalence among the population, with an impact on people at a younger age. The Deputy mentioned statistics concerning children and that huge increase is quite revealing in that regard. It is not for me to give medical advice to people but there...

Other Questions: Hospitals Funding (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: The fine people of south Tipperary are not alone in not understanding it because I do not understand it either. I did not make the decision in 2007, and neither did the Deputy, that the site at Cashel should be exclusively used for primary and social care. I am sure he wants to acknowledge, as I do, the hard work that is ongoing there. We had an opportunity to speak to the people who work...

Other Questions: Hospitals Funding (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: The answer to the last part of the Deputy's comments is that it is a very good idea and I would be delighted to do so. He can therefore take it as given that we will have that meeting of the Tipperary Oireachtas Members. I ask that we give it a few weeks to allow-----

Other Questions: Hospitals Funding (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: -----the work started already to be done. I agree that there should be a published plan. I will not stand up here and suggest on the record of the Dáil that there is a funded plan for Cashel because there is not. However, there is a review, as the Deputy knows, of capital planning and there are further opportunities to include additional capital projects.